UK Surf boat rowing

The UK SRL was set up in 1999 as is the home of Surf Boat rowing in the UK. There are several surf boat clubs along the North Coast of Cornwall and Devon as well as activity going on in other counties.

This page will include information on the UK SRL, plus reports and pictures from events around the UK.

UK SRL webpage

Please see the link below for the October UKSRL newsletter. This gives a full overview of the season including results!

UKSRL newsletter

2013 season: Please see the following link to take you to event reports from the 2013 season so far: event reports

TEAM GB row Surfboats!

Following on from the Cornish Rowing Challenge, some of the GB rowers headed to Porthtowan on the 13th Sept to try their hand at this type of rowing.

Those with facebook check out the link for some awesome pics of the girls in the surf!

Facebook pics of Team GB in Surf boats!

Louisa Reeve gets to grips with Surfboat rowing

 

 

 

European Champs - Report by Andy Cox

Bali take Gold as Ladies left Black and Blue at European Surf Boat Champs

 

The European Surf Boat Championship took place at Perranporth on 1 September. Hearts had been in mouths beforehand as the north Cornish venue is renowned for producing big surf. In the event, conditions were manageable if difficult with a choppy 2-3’ swell challenging rowers and sweeps (coxes) alike.

 

In the Ladies event reigning European and UK champions, Porthtowan Black and Blue, knew that they had a real scrap on their hands from Perranporth’s Sirens who had been training hard to wrest the title from their near-neighours. The Sirens had won the River Race in May but since that time Black & Blue had found an edge that saw them leading the Summer Series and win the recent UK Open.

 

In the Men’s event the pre-race favourites were also from Porthtowan. Blue Bali have been the dominant crew in Europe for many seasons but this time round they had to contend with former Olympic rowers in a Dutch crew and a rejuvenated Perranporth boat (“the Tridents”) who had claimed a heat win over their olde enemy at the Open.

 

In the Ladies final Black & Blue and the Sirens were first off the beach and turned the midpoint buoy together. That left the not-so-simple task of navigating a way through the surf. Their sweeps rowed the two crews on to the same wave and as they struggled to keep control there was a “coming together” that saw oars clashed. The Perran boat fared the better of the exchange and touched home first.

 

“That wasn’t pretty,” said Sirens sweep Pete Gaisford later, “but the girls got the job done.”

 

In the Men’s event Blue Bali proved a class apart and comfortably retained their title. The race for the minor placings, however, was far closer with the Tridents boat touching the sand fourth before bowman James Basher put in a storming sprint to the flag to earn second with the Dutch third.

 

Hostilities concluded, the crews repaired to the Watering Hole where a boat race of an altogether different nature was soon in full flow. Followed by another...and another.



ladies podium....Perranporth in gold, Porthtowan in silver, Bude Bronze

 

 

The Summer Series now resumes with Rounds 4 and 5 at Westward Ho! and Bournemouth on 15 and 29 September respectively.

 

For further information or details on UK surf boat racing please see www.uksrl.co.uk